A permanent home for a recovering hero

Two-year-old Cameron Deslauriers breaks ground for what will be his new home as his mother and dad, Joseph and Lisa, look on.

By LAUREN SAGE REINLIE / Daily News

Published: Monday, November 18, 2013 at 08:21 PM.

DESTIN — On a rainy Monday morning, Cameron Deslauriers, just shy of his third birthday, ran around in the wet mulch of an empty lot.

His mom, Lisa, chased after him, warning him away from the neighborhood street. He smiled and took off toward a clearing of dirt and sand.

Unbeknownst to the child, the spot where he played will one day be his front yard — the first front yard of his life.

Cameron’s father, Master Sgt. Joe Deslauriers, lost both legs and most of one arm in an explosion in Afghanistan in September 2011. Cameron was born that December at Walter Reed Medical Center and has so far lived his short life in and out of hospitals and in temporary housing as his dad works to recover.

On Monday, the organization Building Homes for Heroes broke ground on what will soon be the family’s permanent home. About 200 people — friends, neighbors and supporters — attended, huddled under tents to stay dry.

“This is a big step in my family for moving on from the bad to the good,” Deslauriers said during the ceremony. The 35-year-old was an explosive ordnance disposal technician with the 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron at Hurlburt Field, where he is still employed.

The 3,000-square-foot home will feature a ramp inside the garage so the home won’t look different from any others, despite its handicapped accessibility. All doors and hallways will be wide enough to accommodate Deslauriers’ wheelchair, a big step up from the cramped apartment nearby where the family has been living since they returned to the area in September.

“There won’t be anywhere in the home he can’t go,” said Kelly Hallman, the home’s designer. Randy Wise Homes will be the general contractor.

Neighbors lined up with umbrellas and rain jackets to greet and welcome the Deslauriers family after the ceremony.

“We are really excited about having them here. We’re going to do everything we can to make them feel at home and make them feel like family,” said Russel Hodge, who lives three doors down from the site.

Watching Cameron play, Hodge noted that the lot will be perfect for him as he grows older. A creek runs through the woods behind where the house will be built, and a trail winds through the neighborhood.

“He’s going to love it,” Hodge said.

The Deslauriers said meeting their future neighbors has given them something to look forward to. They promised to have everyone over once they get settled.

“Home is important, but being a part of a community is even more important,” Deslauriers said.

MORE INFO: To find out more about the home or to donate to the project, visit buildinghomesforheroes.org.

DESTIN — On a rainy Monday morning, Cameron Deslauriers, just shy of his third birthday, ran around in the wet mulch of an empty lot.

His mom, Lisa, chased after him, warning him away from the neighborhood street. He smiled and took off toward a clearing of dirt and sand.

Unbeknownst to the child, the spot where he played will one day be his front yard — the first front yard of his life.

Cameron’s father, Master Sgt. Joe Deslauriers, lost both legs and most of one arm in an explosion in Afghanistan in September 2011. Cameron was born that December at Walter Reed Medical Center and has so far lived his short life in and out of hospitals and in temporary housing as his dad works to recover.

On Monday, the organization Building Homes for Heroes broke ground on what will soon be the family’s permanent home. About 200 people — friends, neighbors and supporters — attended, huddled under tents to stay dry.

“This is a big step in my family for moving on from the bad to the good,” Deslauriers said during the ceremony. The 35-year-old was an explosive ordnance disposal technician with the 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron at Hurlburt Field, where he is still employed.

The 3,000-square-foot home will feature a ramp inside the garage so the home won’t look different from any others, despite its handicapped accessibility. All doors and hallways will be wide enough to accommodate Deslauriers’ wheelchair, a big step up from the cramped apartment nearby where the family has been living since they returned to the area in September.

“There won’t be anywhere in the home he can’t go,” said Kelly Hallman, the home’s designer. Randy Wise Homes will be the general contractor.

Neighbors lined up with umbrellas and rain jackets to greet and welcome the Deslauriers family after the ceremony.

“We are really excited about having them here. We’re going to do everything we can to make them feel at home and make them feel like family,” said Russel Hodge, who lives three doors down from the site.

Watching Cameron play, Hodge noted that the lot will be perfect for him as he grows older. A creek runs through the woods behind where the house will be built, and a trail winds through the neighborhood.

“He’s going to love it,” Hodge said.

The Deslauriers said meeting their future neighbors has given them something to look forward to. They promised to have everyone over once they get settled.

“Home is important, but being a part of a community is even more important,” Deslauriers said.

MORE INFO: To find out more about the home or to donate to the project, visit buildinghomesforheroes.org.